LONGHEAD 

THE STORY OF THE FIRST FIRE 



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• ROBINSON 




Copyright iN^ 



COPYRFGHT DEPOSIT. 



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LONGHEAD: 

THE STORY OF THE FIRST FIRE 



Works of 
C. H. ROBINSON 

LONGHEAD: The Story of 
the First Fire Net $1.00 

HAWK: The Young Osage 

$1.25 

L. C. PAGE & COMPANY 
53 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. 




THEY CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE LIGHT MADE BY THE FIRE. 

{See page 63.) 




Longhead: 

Cbe Story of the first fire 




BY 



.^^ 



C H. ROBINSON 

Author of " Hawk: the Younfe Osafee," etc. 



Illustrated fay 
CHARLES LIVINGSTON BULL 




BOSTON Jt L. C. PAGE & | 
COMPANY % MDCCCCXIII | 



Z-O ■X-L>^ \j 






Copyright, igi^, 
By L. C. Page & Company 

(incorpoeated) 



All rights reserved 



First Impression, July, 1913 



THE COLONIAL PRESS 
C. H. SIMONDS & CO.j BOSTON, U. S. A. 



©CI,A350559 '^ 



CONTENTS 

♦ 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Introduction of Fire ... i 
II. Weapons — Cooked Food — Com- 
panionship . . . . .36 

III. Germs of Social Organization . 62 

IV. Co - operation 76 

V. Dawn of Invention, Art, Mar- 
riage, Religion and Govern- 
ment ._ 97 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 

" They caught sight of the light made 

BY THE FIRE " {See page 63) Frontispiece 

" A HUGE tiger which WAS SLOWLY CREEP- 
ING UP behind him " . . . . 5 

" After some vigorous blowing, pro- 
duced FLAME " 33 

" Soon they had a tolerably firm path 
from the solid ground to a place 
near the great beast " . . .82 



LONGHEAD: THE STORY 
OF THE FIRST FIRE 



jkie?; 



CHAPTER I 

INTRODUCTION OF FIRE 

" A fire-mist and a planet, 

A crystal and a cell, 
A jelly-fish and a saurian. 

And a cave where the cave-men dwell; 
Then a sense of law and beauty 

And a face turned from the clod, — 
Some call it Evolution, 

And others call it God." 

A STRANGE - LOOKING animal 
was running across the open glade toward 
the forest. It looked something like a 
human being, but was entirely naked. Its 
body, except on the palms of the hands 
and soles of the feet, was covered with 

[I] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

reddish-brown hair, but on the head it 
was nearly black and long and matted; 
while on the rest of the body it was short 
and curled — nearly fur, in fact. Its 
arms were long, reaching below the knees, 
and the great toes, as it ran, stood nearly 
at right angles to the others. 

The animal carried no weapon of any 
kind, if we except a club or staff broken 
from a dry branch, which it seemed to 
use in maintaining an upright position as 
it hurried toward a large tree with 
pendent branches which stood at the edge 
of the forest. 

Just as the creature reached the outer 
branches, which extended nearly to the 
ground, a storm, which had been rapidly 
approaching, burst with great violence. 
There was a loud clap of thunder, a bolt 

[2] 



Introduction of Fire 



of lightning tore the tree to splinters, and 
the animal fell to the ground, stunned by 
the shock. It lay unconscious for some 
time, and the thunder shower had passed, 
leaving the sun shining brightly, when 
it raised its head and sat up. At first it 
slowly rubbed its body and head, and 
then, reaching full consciousness, its at- 
tention was attracted by a roaring and 
crackling sound a short distance away. 

The lightning had prostrated the tree 
and had set fire to a mass of brush and 
logs lying at its roots. The beast sprang 
to its feet in astonishment and alarm. 

The animal was one of our primitive 
ancestors, and he now saw fire for the first 
time. 

As his body, chilled by the recent rain, 
began to feel the warmth, he first drew 

[3] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

near, but as the heat increased, he was 
compelled to withdraw to a greater dis- 
tance. He gazed as if fascinated, how- 
ever, at the curious sight for a long time. 

When it began to grow dark, he was 
surprised to see that the forest for some 
distance around, remained nearly as light 
as day. 

His feeble intellect, however, soon 
wearied of the new sensation, and he 
withdrew to an overhanging rock near-by. 
He knew of a small cave at its base with a 
narrow entrance, and of this he at once 
took possession, rolling against the open- 
ing some masses of stone lying near and 
piling in others after he had entered, 
until he had secured the opening against 
any dangerous animal. He gave little 
further thought to the phenomena of the 

[4] 




A HUGE TIGER WHICH WAS SLOWLY CREEPING UP BEHIND 

HIM." 



Introduction of Fire 



fire, for man had not yet reached a de- 
velopment in intellect which permitted a 
consecutive train of thought for any con- 
siderable length of time. He slept 
soundly, but when he crawled from his 
refuge in the morning, the smoke still 
rising from the pile of logs and brush 
attracted his attention and recalled to his 
mind what had occurred the evening be- 
fore. He approached the fire, which had 
nearly consumed its supply of fuel, but 
was smouldering still in a large decayed 
log and the ends of several poles which 
lay partly in a bed of glowing coals. 

So much was the man now interested in 
this new phenomenon that he forgot for a 
moment his usual caution when in the 
forest, and failed to observe a huge tiger 
which was slowly creeping up behind 

[5] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

him, and, but for the sharp sound of a 
dry stick breaking under the animal's 
weight, this story would have ended then 
and there. 

The man had just drawn from the fire 
a burning pole and was examining with 
much curiosity its glowing end, when the 
sound caused him to turn, only to meet the 
tiger, which had made its leap. The man 
bounded to one side, and at the same time, 
more by accident than design, he thrust 
the burning stick against the animal's 
breast. The fierce beast came against it 
with such impact that it penetrated 
through the skin and into the flesh. With 
a scream of terror and pain and many 
snarls and spits, the tiger began biting 
the injured spot and then turned and fled 
into the forest. Our man, who had given 

[6] 



Introduction of Fire 



himself up for lost, stared in bewilder- 
ment at the retreating animal and then at 
the pole which had saved his life. He 
thought longer and more deeply than he 
had ever done before, as he stood beside 
the smouldering embers. Without any 
particular reason for his action, he gath- 
ered up some of the unconsumed ends of 
the branches, cast them into the coals, and 
was much amused to see them ignited and 
the flame renewed. It was a new play- 
thing, and for a long time he continued 
to pile sticks upon the coals and to delight 
in the bright flame, the ascending smoke 
and the crackling sparks; but that he 
could make any practical use of his new 
discovery had not yet been suggested to 
his feeble intellect. 
Tiring at length of the sport, he real- 

[7] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

ized that he was hungry, and, turning intO' 
the forest, he sought for food. For some 
hours he roamed the hills and valleys, 
striking down with his stick a small 
animal which he devoured raw; finding 
a few grubs under fallen logs which he 
turned over; and he found also a few 
berries, prematurely ripened, and finally 
satisfied his ravenous appetite by filling 
his stomach with buds of shrubs and some 
succulent roots, which experience had 
taught him were not injurious and were 
at least satisfying. 

By this time he had reached a part of 
the forest in which he had been making 
his home for a few weeks and, seeking 
out a tree, in which he had constructed a 
sort of nest with interlaced sticks and 
leaves, he lay down for a nap. He 

[8] 



Introduction of Fire 



wakened late in the afternoon, climbed to 
the ground and started on an aimless walk 
through the forest, carrying his stick, but 
no other weapon, for other weapons than 
stones for throwing and sticks for striking 
were then unknown. 

Most of the people in the group to 
which he belonged had short round heads, 
such as scientists call brachiocephalic, but 
this man was dolichocephalous, or long- 
headed, and this peculiarity had given 
him the name of Longhead among this 
group at the few gatherings of these 
people^ which happened occasionally, 
more by accident than design, for they 
had no social organization whatever. 
They had no laws; no leaders; no per- 
manent habitations and wore no clothing. 
They slept in nests built in the branches 

[9] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

of trees at night, or sought shelter in any 
chance caves of the region through which 
they roved. This had no defined bound- 
aries and they remained in the locality 
only because they found food fairly 
plentiful. 

As yet, there was not even family or- 
ganization, for it was many ages af tef this 
time before it dawned upon man any- 
where that the male animal played any 
part in the propagation of species. To 
the ordinary and usual phenomena of 
nature our primitive forefathers never 
gave a thought or question, but accepted 
them without speculation as to their cause 
or fear as to their continuance, so long as 
regularity obtained. The rising and set- 
ting of the sun were to him perfectly 
natural events of daily occurrence from 

[lO] 



Introduction of Fire 



his childhood, and had so continued 
during the recollection of the oldest 
members of the group, and it was only 
when eclipses occurred, breaking this 
orderly continuity, that he felt at all 
alarmed. It was natural for the moon 
to shed her soft light when not obscured 
by clouds, and even its waxing and wan- 
ing occasioned no alarm, for this, like- 
wise, had continued " since the fathers 
fell asleep." There was nothing strange 
about the gentle dew descending by night 
or rain falling from the clouds; these he 
had observed from his earliest youth ; but 
when the loud thunders reverberated 
through the hills, and the forked light- 
nings flashed athwart the sky^ frequently 
rending the giant trees of the forest or 
bringing sudden death to a comrade, this 

[II] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

mysterious and dangerous display of an 
unknown power, was, to him, alarming, 
and he early attributed these and all other 
infrequent or unaccountable phenomena 
to supernatural beings with whom his 
fancy peopled the hills and forests, the 
rivers and the sky. 

It was entirely natural to primitive 
man that in the spring the trees and plants 
should bud and send forth leaves and 
blossoms, to be followed later by fruit, 
" each after its kind." This, also, had 
always occurred from his earliest recol- 
lection and that of his elders, and it occa- 
sioned no thought upon his part. It was 
only when floods, drouths and other 
calamities interfered with this orderly 
sequence of events that any mystery was 
presented or any thought required. It is 

[12] 



Introduction of Fire 



clear that among these common and 
natural occurrences, which were simply 
accepted without question because they 
had always happened, must be classed the 
bringing forth of young by all mammals. 
Man had always observed that the 
females of all the animals about him 
brought forth young, '^ each after its 
kind." This was to be expected and gave 
him no surprise, nor, in the then condi- 
tion of his intellect, did it give rise to a 
thought as to its cause. Likewise, his 
own womankind gave birth to young, 
from time to time, just as did the other 
animals, and there was no cause for specu- 
lation or thought in regard to this; the 
occurrence was too common to be a mys- 
tery. 
There being then no knowledge of 

[13] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

fatherhood, there were no fathers, and 
for many generations no relatives were 
known except in the female line. Con- 
sequently, there was no family hearth- 
stone; no paternal love; no marriage. 
The relations of the sexes was purely 
physical and were generally indiscrim- 
in-ate, as opportunity might afford; but 
doubtless, with some, this companionship 
was continued for a longer or shorter 
period, as circumstances or congeniality 
might induce. 

In these ages, and they were long ones 
among some peoples, it is obvious that 
there could have been no such emotion as 
paternal love, for no man even suspected 
that he was a father. No man experi- 
enced the exquisite pleasure of hearing 
the first cry of his first-born child; no 

[14] 



Introduction of Fire 



man heard '^ Dada," from infant lips. 
No man assisted in the support of his chil- 
dren or took part in their care, except un- 
consciously as he aided in the main- 
tenance of the children of the group or 
tribe; no man cared more for the mother 
of his children than he did for any other 
woman who might attract his fancy or 
passion. Above all, the men and women 
of that long epoch were strangers to the 
sacred companionship, the life-long at- 
tachment and communion of souls with 
mutual interests which attach to the true 
marriage of to-day. The children were 
the common care of the group or tribe; 
the boys that they might grow up to be 
hunters and warriors, and the girls that 
they might contribute to the sensual en- 
joyment of the men, or, if it pleased the 

[15] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

spirits, or stars, or some other supernat- 
ural agency, might become mothers for 
the perpetuation of the tribe. In times 
of extreme danger, famine or privation, 
or when too feeble to follow the migra- 
tions of the group, the babies, especially 
the female ones, were ruthlessly aban- 
doned to wild beasts or slaughtered out- 
right. There existed, doubtless, the 
mother instinct which prompts females, 
even among the lower animals, to care 
for and defend their offspring, but it cer- 
tainly fell far short of the mother love 
among civilized peoples. 

After wandering aimlessly a number 
of miles. Longhead encountered a female 
of his own species who was not altogether 
unknown to him. They had met occa- 
sionally at the infrequent gatherings of 

[i6] 



Introduction of Fire 



the people who inhabited that part of the 
forest, and on one or two occasions had 
remained together for a few days in that 
anomalous companionship which took the 
place of marriage in those far-off days. 
There was no kiss, caress or other sign of 
affection or pleasure; the pair merely 
gave each other a friendly grin and 
grunted in a satisfactory tone. Words 
were scarce in the vocabulary of the 
people of that epoch, aad they communi- 
cated with each other largely by means 
of signs, gesticulation and pantomime. 
The woman could not have been called 
handsome, according to our ideas of 
beauty. She, too, was naked and hairy, 
but the hair on her head was longer and 
less matted than on that of the man, and 
was held back from her face by being 

[17] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

drawn behind the ears with a strip of 
bark twisted about her head to keep it 
somewhat in that condition. Her body 
was smaller than that of Longhead; but 
her limbs were slender and ungainly and 
her stomach also protruded, in conse- 
quence of the quantities of coarse vege- 
table food required to sustain life. By an 
accident in childhood, she had lost one of 
her front teeth, and on this account, she 
was known as Broken Tooth. 

The woman soon gave Longhead to 
understand that she was hungry. The 
protective, or probably, the sexual in- 
stinct, prompted him to act as a provider, 
and he offered to assist her in a search for 
food. Together they roamed, finding 
here a few grubs and there a juicy root, 
and finally the man killed a small animal 

ri8] 



Introduction of Fire 



with his club, which they shared, Long- 
head tearing it in pieces with his hands 
and teeth and throwing small pieces to 
Broken Tooth, which he admiringly 
watched her devour. Her appetite 
finally satisfied, she lay back in the sun- 
shine against the roots of a tree, closed 
her eyes in great contentment, and began 
a conversation with her companion in the 
few words then constituting the human 
vocabulary. She recalled their last meet- 
ing and asked why she had not seen him 
at any of the gatherings of the group 
since. He told her that in consequence 
of the jealousy of one of the giants of the 
group to which they both belonged, who 
had resented his attentions to one of the 
females of his harem, he had become 
involved in a fight with the giant in 

[19] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire. 

which he had been beaten nearly to 
death, and that, fearing to remain with 
his fellows, as well as on account of his 
serious injuries, he had retired to a dis- 
tant part of the forest where he had 
found sufficient food and had recovered 
his strength. He told her that he had 
rather enjoyed his isolation and, had 
present company been with him in his 
forced retirement, he would have been 
entirely content. At this statement, the 
woman merely gave an incredulous sniff. 
The man then related numerous en- 
counters with wild animals, in which, of 
course, he had come off successfully — 
and just here he recollected his strange 
experience with the fire and his en- 
counter with the tiger. With great 
truthfulness^ and as much detail as his 

[20] 



Introduction of Fire 



vocabulary permitted, he told her what 
had occurred to him the evening before 
and that very morning. How, seeking 
for refuge from a storm, he had been sud- 
denly stricken unconscious, by what 
means he did not know; and the strange 
sight he had witnessed on recovery. He 
told her, also, of his adventure with the 
tiger that morning and its discomfiture. 
Broken Tooth laughed long and loudly 
at this and was wholly incredulous. 
Such a thing had never happened be- 
fore, and consequently could not have 
happened now. She asked him what 
kind of a weed he had been eating, and 
said she was not born yesterday to be- 
lieve such nonsense. This led to quite a 
discussion, the man insisting upon the 
reality of his experiences and the woman 

[21] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

ridiculing the whole narrative as impos- 
sible. The colloquy finally ended by her 
asking him to conduct her to the place 
where he claimed such wonderful things 
had happened, that she might see if any- 
thing remained there to confirm his ab- 
surd story. Longhead assented and, as 
it was not far distant, they arrived at the 
locality a little before dark. The fire still 
smouldered in the decayed log and 
numerous sticks still smoked at their 
ends. Mindful of his morning's amuse- 
ment. Longhead gathered a number of 
the burning poles, placed their glowing 
ends together and threw on them some 
dry leaves and twigs. In a moment a 
column of smoke began to ascend, fol- 
lowed soon by a tongue of bright flame 
and many rising and glowing sparks. 

[22] 



Introduction of Fire 



One of these Broken Tooth caught in her 
hand, but dropped it with an exclama- 
tion of pain. ^^ If a small one hurts so 
much, I don't wonder your tiger fled 
when you thrust a large one against his 
breast," she said. 

Long they played with the fire, throw- 
ing upon it sticks and dry branches, and 
the woman clapped her hands and 
screamed with delight at each succeed- 
ing shower of sparks. 

When at length night came on and the 
darkness made the firelight more bril- 
liant, the man piled a large number of 
sticks on the fire to show how the forest 
was lighted up ; but finally both became 
weary of the sport, and then he told her 
of the cave near-by — just large enough 
for two — and invited her to share it 

[23] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

with him for the night. She consented, 
and as they were about to start, the man, 
without any thought of the effect, gath- 
ered up four or five of the sticks with 
live coals at the end and placed them to- 
gether. These he waved in the air to 
amuse the woman with the flying sparks, 
as they passed along, she still screaming 
at each successive sparkle, until suddenly 
a bright flame shot up and, by accident, 
like many other valuable discoveries, a 
torch was invented. By its light they 
easily made their way to the rocky plat- 
form in front of the cave sheltered by the 
overhanging rock, and when Longhead 
cast down the torch Broken Tooth placed 
the ends of the burning sticks together as 
she had seen him do, and again the flame 
shot up. The new experience was too 

[24] 



Introduction of Fire 



delightful to be given up, and, at the 
woman's suggestion, they gathered large 
armfuls of dry branches and some heavy 
logs v^hich lay scattered about near the 
platform, v^hich they piled up and from 
time to time added to the fire. 

The night was cool, but as they sat back 
against the wall of rock under the 
sloping cliff to watch the blaze and fly- 
ing sparks, a pleasant warmth, new to 
their experience, pervaded their bodies, 
and they gave themselves up to the 
luxury of the sensation. 

The fire roared and blazed merrily. 
Broken Tooth shouted in glee, and Long- 
head began to think, in a slow ponderous 
way, that this new agent in his life might 
do much for his comfort if it could be 
perpetuated, but his mental power was 

[25] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

too limited to suggest any method for 
this. 

Their shouts and laughter had at- 
tracted the attention of the wild animals, 
and all at once Broken Tooth saw two 
glowing eyes and the crouching form of 
a great tiger almost at the edge of the 
platform. Longhead caught sight of it 
at the same moment, and with a yell of 
fear each scrambled for the narrow en- 
trance of the cave. Broken Tooth, 
lighter of form and quicker of move- 
ment, reached it a moment the soonest, 
but no promptings of sex, gallantry or 
politeness prevented Longhead from 
throwing her roughly to one side while 
he attained the coveted shelter. Once 
within, he began to fill the entrance with 
stones, leaving his companion to the fate 

[26] 



Introduction of Fire 



which he supposed had already befallen 
her, when, greatly to his surprise, she 
tumbled in unhurt. Filling the entrance 
so that it would not admit the body of the 
tiger, they peered together through the 
openings and saw the disappointed 
animal pacing back and forth just at the 
edge of the semi-circle of brilliant light 
made by the fire. Long they watched 
the baffled beast, and at first they were 
unable to understand why the animal did 
not approach the entrance and attempt to 
remove the stones and secure his prey. 
At length Broken Tooth said: " I believe 
he is afraid of the fire." She did not, of 
course, use the word " fire ; " she probably 
said " brightness," or some equivalent 
word, if they had one. Longhead agreed 
that this might be the case, and together 

[27] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

they watched the animal with great in- 
terest. Finally Longhead, emboldened 
by the tiger's hesitation, removed one of 
the stones, and, protruding his head, 
shouted in derision at his ancient enemy. 
The animal, whose rage or hunger made 
him momentarily forget his fear, made a 
dash toward the cave, but, when he came 
within the bright light and felt the heat 
of the fire, he retreated precipitately. 
Longhead finally crawled outside and 
Broken Tooth soon followed him. They 
taunted the great cat with the vilest words 
they knew; threw stones at it, and simply 
revelled in their new sensation of safety. 
Here was Old Saber-Tooth, the one 
animal of all others whose vicinage car- 
ried terror wherever he went, at bay at 
last. For a while the animal would 

[28] 



Introduction of Fire 



make dashes toward them, when Broken 
Tooth would tumble into the cave and 
Longhead draw near the entrance, ready 
for instant retreat to safety; but each 
time the fear of the fire sent the tiger 
back beyond the charmed circle of its 
light, where it gave vent to its disappoint- 
ment in savage growls and spittings. At 
length, wearied by the unprofitable labor, 
and awed by the strange light and heat, 
the beast disappeared; its snarls and 
growls grew fainter in the distance and 
ceased to be heard. Saber-Tooth had at 
last found something he feared, and man 
a protector. 

Delighted with this new feeling of se- 
curity from danger in the night, the man 
and woman sat long before the cheerful 
blaze and enjoyed its grateful warmth. 

[29] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

They agreed that wild animals were 
afraid of this new agent, and if they 
could always have its protection they 
would have nothing to fear from them; 
but to their weak intellects no thought 
of an attempt to perpetuate the fire was 
suggested. 

When their fuel was exhausted and 
nothing but a bed of glowing coals re- 
mained, they retired to the cave, care- 
fully closing the entrance against the pos- 
sible return of the tiger or the attack of 
some other animal, for they realized that 
the fire, being now nearly out, they could 
no longer depend upon it for protection. 

Late in the morning Longhead and 
Broken Tooth emerged from the cave. 
The fire was out and the ashes cold. 
When they thought of the pleasurable 

[30] 



Introduction of Fire 



warmth it had produced and the protec- 
tion it had afforded they indulged in some 
expressions of regret that it was gone, 
and then thought no more about it. They 
soon made their way to the place of the 
smouldering log, but it was now nearly 
consumed. Directly the woman noticed 
two or three tiny threads of smoke, and 
on investigation they found that some dry 
excrescences, which we call " punk," had 
fallen away from the burning log and 
that on one side of each was a small spark. 
Broken Tooth took up one of these and, 
noting the white ash so like the down on 
certain plants which she had often blown 
away in sport, she blew upon it as she 
held it in her hand, and was delighted 
to see the spark spread and glow afresh. 
Longhead, too, picked up a piece of the 

[31] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

lighted punk and, after blowing upon it 
for a few minutes, dropped it carelessly 
at his feet, where it fell upon some dry 
rotten wood and leaves. Without notic- 
ing this, he watched the amusement of his 
companion as she made the sparks fly 
from the piece she held, and then, sud- 
denly, with a yell of pain, he jumped 
aside and hopped about on one foot, hold- 
ing the other in his hand. The rotten 
wood and leaves upon which he had 
dropped the punk had ignited and the 
fire had reached his foot. He now un- 
derstood the defeat of the tiger the morn- 
ing before, and had ocular and painful 
demonstration of the fact that punk will 
retain fire, at least for a few hours. 

Longhead now seemed to wake up ; at 
last he had an idea, and he talked it over 

[32] 



Introduction of Fire 



with the woman as they slowly returned 
to the cave platform, each carrying a 
piece of the lighted punk. Once there, 
the man sought for dry, rotten wood and 
small twigs, which they piled upon the 
punk and, after some vigorous blowing, 
produced flame. 

An idea was born; a discovery was 
made; the greatest in all time. Broken 
Tooth remained to maintain the fire by 
putting on fresh fuel, while Longhead 
carried armfuls of sticks and logs from 
the forest, together with pieces of punk 
for future use. The punk he piled at the 
cave entrance to keep it dry, and man was 
now master of fire, the most beneficent of 
nature's gifts. Thenceforth it only re- 
mained that a plentiful supply of dry 
fuel and punk should be maintained at 

[33] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

the cave, and their comfort and safety 
were assured. 

Their delight at their mutual discovery 
— for Longhead insisted that if Broken 
Tooth had not blown upon the punk for 
amusement, he would not have discov- 
ered a method for the preservation of the 
fire — drew the two closer together as 
having a great secret in common. The 
necessity that the fire be supplied with 
fuel that it might be kept alive, and that 
fresh fire might occasionally be applied 
to the pieces of punk, suggested that one 
should remain for that purpose; and 
when Longhead proposed that the two 
should remain permanently together, 
the woman to keep the fire alive while 
the man sought for food for both, 
Broken Tooth agreed at once; and thus 

[34] 



Introduction of Fire 



came about the first union resembling 
marriage in which the man became the 
provider and the woman the home- 
keeper. 



[35] 






CHAPTER II 

WEAPONS — COOKED FOOD — COM- 
PANIONSHIP 

JL* OR some months the man and woman 
maintained their residence in the cave, 
uninterrupted by any visits from other 
human inhabitants of the forest. Daily 
Longhead went forth in search of food, 
which he brought to the cave and they 
shared it together. Sometimes there was 
plenty, but often their meals were scanty, 
as the only weapons then known were 
stones and clubs. Broken Tooth aided 
to some extent, by searching a piece of 
low moist ground not far from the cave 

[36] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



for such roots and tubers as were palat- 
able, and altogether, they managed to 
sustain life as well as before their union, 
but the woman never ventured far from 
the platform for fear that by some acci- 
dent their precious fire should go out. 

Every night the fire blazed merrily 
upon the platform, fed with dry branches 
and large sticks, which it was the task of 
the woman to procure during the day. 
Frequently they saw wild animals in the 
forest at night or heard their growls as 
they prowled in the surrounding thickets, 
but never after their experience with the 
tiger the first night of their fire, did one 
venture within the charmed circle of the 
light made by the flames. 

Sometimes when it rained or the 
weather was cold, and sufficient food re- 

[37] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

mained over from the night before, Long- 
head lingered about the cave and plat- 
form all day, enjoying the warmth and 
comfort of the fire, and on these occasions 
the couple talked much of the benefits 
of thefr new acquisition. 

One day Broken Tooth said: ''What 
shall we say if some of the people wander 
this way and find us? What shall we tell 
them about how we came in possession of 
this new comfort? " Then they talked 
about this long and earnestly. They had 
no desire to benefit their fellows by 
sharing with them their accidental dis- 
covery, for man was yet a purely selfish 
animal, and there was no organized soci- 
ety of any kind ; but they both recognized 
the fact that when others became ac- 
quainted with its benefits, they would 

[38] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



soon acquire the fire, by force if necessary, 
and that their own lives would stand for 
nothing, should they resist. They felt 
sure that the matter could not long be 
concealed from other members of their 
group, for the first hunter who should 
wander to that part of the forest would 
smell the smoke and would investigate. 
It was finally concluded that, as they did 
not themselves know how the fire had 
originated in the heap of logs and brush, 
they would say Longhead himself had 
produced it in a mysterious manner, 
which they dare not reveal for fear it 
might be taken from them. 

That they might not be observed in the 
mornings kindling the fire with punk and 
tinder, and their secret be thus exposed, 
it was agreed that all the punk should be 

[39] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

kept in the cave, the fires lighted there, 
and only brought out on the platform 
after the sticks were ablaze. 

Every night two pieces of punk were 
ignited and laid carefully up q^ a small 
natural projecting shelf in the cave. 
They used two pieces, fearing that by 
some accident one might become extin- 
guished. The fact is, this very thing did 
happen once. The lighted punk had been 
laid back against the rear wall of the plat- 
form when they went to bed, but a violent 
storm had come on in the night and the 
rain had been driven in so that the punk 
was wet and the spark gone in the morn- 
ing. Their precious fire was only saved 
by Broken Tooth finding a tiny spark on 
the under side of a log which the water 
had not happened to reach. They had 

[40] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



been greatly alarmed, and so two pieces 
had been thereafter lighted and both 
taken into the cave to avoid such another 
mishap. 

This peaceful enjoyment of their new- 
found happiness and companionship had 
continued for some months, when one 
evening a small animal which they were 
about to tear to pieces for their evening 
meal, fell into a large bed of burning 
coals on the platform. Longhead was 
about to recover it when Broken Tooth, 
whose sense of smell may have been more 
acute, said : " Wait a minute ; what is 
that delicious smell? " 

Up to this time they had still continued 
to eat their food raw, and there had been 
nothing to suggest to the mind of either 
that it would be better if exposed to heat. 

[41] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

Now they continued for some minutes to 
inhale the new and agreeable odor, but 
it had the effect to make Longhead raven- 
ously hungry, and he soon drew the 
animal from the coals with a long stick. 
When he began to tear it the hot carcass 
burned his fingers, which alarmed him at 
first, but the demands of his appetite must 
be satisfied, and, tearing it in pieces, he 
divided with the woman. At first they 
both tasted gingerly and were a little 
afraid of the unaccustomed heat, but be- 
fore either had finished the first morsel 
their pleasure was evident. They de- 
voured the whole of the animal, and de- 
clared it the finest eating they had ever 
experienced. Two or three other small 
animals lay beside the fire and they de- 
cided to repeat the course. Both had ob- 

[42] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



served that the portions of the first animal 
which had been most exposed to the heat 
had been made tender and more appeti- 
zing, and, on the suggestion of Broken 
Tooth, a long slender stick was thrust 
through an animal, which was by this 
means held over the hottest part of the 
bed of coals by Longhead, who turned it 
from time to time, that all parts might be 
thoroughly cooked. This was so much 
better than the first that their appetites 
returned with renewed vigor, and when 
the second animal had been eaten, they 
again repeated the courses until all the 
food on hand had been devoured. They 
both declared that roasted meat was far 
superior to raw, and agreed that this 
should be the method of preparing meat 
for the future. 

[43] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

One day when Broken Tooth returned 
from the swamp with some wild carrots 
and other roots, she thrust one into a pile 
of hot ashes and burning coals, merely as 
an experiment. She left it there while she 
collected some fuel and replenished the 
fire, and when she drew it out and tasted 
it she was pleased to find that roots also 
were much improved by cooking. When 
Longhead returned in the evening he was 
treated to a surprise — supper of two 
courses, broiled wood-rat and roasted 
carrot. 

Everything to be used for food was 
thereafter submitted to the cooking test, 
and, whenever broiling or roasting in the 
ashes seemed to improve the taste of any 
article of food, this was adopted. 

Longhead and Broken Tooth now 

[44] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



found themselves really caring for each 
other and each sought to do things to 
please the other. As far as they were con- 
cerned, the old selfishness was now gone. 
Their close companionship around the 
fire alone during the evenings; its cheer- 
ful light and gay sparkle, its warmth and 
comfort tended to promote conversation 
and they found themselves talking more 
than they had ever before in their lives. 
They even coined a few words to express 
their new experiences and feelings. 
Longhead would relate in detail the 
hunting adventures of the day and 
Broken Tooth would recount her own ex- 
periences in search of roots and eggs. 

Both thoroughly enjoyed their new life 
at the fire-cave; indeed, it seemed to 
them they had never really lived before. 

[45] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

Nearly every day Longhead would go 
into the forest in search of small animals 
for food. In his absence Broken Tooth 
first collected sufficient fuel to keep the 
fire alive for another twenty-four hours, 
then she would visit the low ground for 
roots and tubers, eggs and nuts, for since 
they had been experimenting with roast- 
ing, they had discovered that a number of 
roots which had been rejected as bitter 
and unpalatable, when raw, were much 
improved by roasting, and these had been 
added to the bill of fare. Broken Tooth 
had found nesting places of the water- 
fowl which frequented the swamp. Her 
first experiment in roasting eggs had been 
a partial failure. She placed a couple of 
eggs in the hot ashes, noticing at the time 
that the shell of one was cracked; soon 

[46] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 

there was an explosion and the egg with 
the sound shell was destroyed. There- 
after she made a small hole in each for 
the escape of the steam and all went well. 
Her worst trouble with eggs was the want 
of a receptacle for transporting them to 
the fire-cave, for she wore not even an 
apron. 

When evening began to draw near, 
Broken Tooth found herself looking 
often into the forest and wishing for 
Longhead's return. She sometimes 
feared a savage beast might have killed 
him. This was a new feeling for her. 
In the former life she had never cared 
for any one or cared particularly to see 
others. One evening when the man 
finally appeared, she ran into the forest 
to meet him and put her arms around his 

[47] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

neck. Longhead looked at her in some 
surprise and then returned the caress, 
and they walked arm in arm to the plat- 
form. That evening they both talked a 
great deal, and finally Broken Tooth 
said : " I wonder what has )Come over 
both of us. Even when together for a 
short time in the old days, we spoke but 
seldom. I wonder if it is the fire." 

It was indeed the fire, with its warmth 
and cheer, so different from the old days 
when each had shivered in the fork of a 
tree or had spent the night in a dark and 
noisome cavern. Neither understood the 
nature of the change which was being 
wrought in them, but if it was not yet 
real marriage, it was at least the germ 
which in the long succeeding ages has 
developed into real marriage. 

[48] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



One morning a cold rain was falling 
and Longhead sat long before the blazing 
fire, loth to leave the comfort he found 
there for the chilly and dripping forest. 
He drew a long slender stick from the 
fire and began to observe its glowing end. 
As the ashes accumulated and hid the red 
coal, he blew them away. After a few 
minutes, the fire on the stick went out and 
the man, picking up a piece of stone, be- 
gan idly and without purpose to scrape 
away the black or charred portion of the 
end. When he reached the unburned 
wood, he found it very hard and as he 
continued to scrape, he finally brought 
the stick to a very sharp point. He felt 
this and thought it might be very good for 
killing small animals, so when he finally 
started out for his day's search for food, 

[49] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

he took it with him. It was fortunate he 
did so, for late in the afternoon as he was 
turning toward home; after an unsuccess- 
ful hunt, a pack of wild dogs attacked 
him. So close were they upon him be- 
fore he was aware, that the leader sprang 
at 'him to pull him down just before he 
reached a tree in which he was about to 
take refuge. In defense, he thrust the 
sharpened stick at the beast with all his 
might. It passed clear through the body 
of the dog, which fell dead and was 
quickly devoured by its fellows, while 
the man scrambled to safety. When 
Longhead climbed down, after the dogs 
had dispersed, he secured the sharpened 
stick, and it was with a new feeling of 
safety he moved through the forest, spear 
in hand ; for a spear had been invented. 

[50] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



A few days later he even ventured to at- 
tack a wild dog he found separated from 
the pack; a thing he never would have 
done when armed with only a club or 
stone. He killed the animal and carried 
it in triumph to the fire-cave, for it was 
the first time, to his knowledge, a man, 
ever, single-handed, had killed so large 
an animal of a ferocious kind. Its roasted 
flesh supplied the man and woman food 
for several days. 

One day, when kindling a fire on the 
platform, the woman was too indolent to 
remove some small boulders from the 
spot where she desired to make the fire, 
so she piled the fuel over them and was 
surprised to find that the fire kindled 
more readily and burned better on ac- 
count of the fuel being raised from the 

[SI] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

ground, and thereafter, three or four 
stones were used to support the sticks. 
One morning, after the fire had burned 
for some time and the stones were red 
hot, a smart shower came up. The fire 
was too far under the slope of the shelv- 
ing rock to be directly affected, but as it 
continued to rain for some time, a small 
pool accumulated on top of the rock, 
which finally worked its way throu^ 
the bed of leaves that had dammed its 
progress and, all at once, it poured over 
the face of the rock in a small column and 
fell directly upon one of the red-hot 
stones in the fire-place. The stone was a 
large nodule of flint; there was an im- 
mediate explosion, a dense cloud of steam 
and ashes arose, and the alarmed owners 
of the cave rushed for safety to its depths. 

[52] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



When all was quiet they emerged to find 
that one of the stones which supported 
the sticks had disappeared. Instead 
of the stone, however, there were 
numerous sharp flakes of flint scattered 
about, which Longhead first discov- 
ered when he cut his foot by stepping 
on one. 

With much curiosity, the man exam- 
ined the flake which had injured him, 
then picking up the carcass of a small 
animal lying near, he found that he could 
cut it with the flake. He now carefully 
gathered up all the flakes he could find 
and carried them into the cave. When 
he returned from his day's hunt in the 
evening, he brought with him a long, 
slender, dry stick which he rubbed and 
polished with a flake until perfectly 

[53] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

smooth; then, with some fibrous roots, 
he bound the longest and sharpest of his 
flakes at the end of the pole, and the next 
day carried this with him to the forest in- 
stead of the fire-hardened wooden spear. 
Later, he discovered that narrow strips of 
rawhide were better than roots for tying 
on a flake, and, after many years of prog- 
ress, the long tendons of large animals 
were substituted as still better for the pur- 
pose. 

Longhead and his new deadly weapon 
had numerous encounters with small 
animals, in each of which he found his 
new spear superior to anything he had yet 
tried, and this gave him still greater con- 
fidence in himself. He no longer sneaked 
through the forest half bent to the ground 
and fearing nearly every animal he might 

[54] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



meet, but went with head erect and a 
more fearless step. 

A few days later, while pursuing some 
half-grown wild pigs, and when they 
were about to plunge into a den in the 
rocks, he threw his spear at the last one, 
in disappointment. To his surprise, it 
passed clear through the animal, killing 
it at once. He carried the pig to the cave 
and that night sat long before the fire in 
deep thought. Finally, he selected a long 
and thin fragment of flint, rather broader 
than those he had used for the spear, 
wrapped some small roots about it at one 
end to protect his hand, and he had a 
knife — the first one in the world. The 
next morning he tied a strip of bark 
around his waist to support the knife, 
and when he returned in the evening he 

[55] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

brought with him several dry and slender 
sticks shorter than his spear and pro- 
ceeded to bind a sharp splinter of flint to 
each. Thereafter, he always carried one 
of these short ones in addition to his long 
spear, and thus a javelin was invented. 
He practiced throwing this at every 
animal he saw, and, indeed, at other ob- 
jects, and soon became quite expert in its 
use. He found, too, that it was now 
much easier to keep the larder well sup- 
plied. 

In his wanderings. Longhead one day 
approached quite near the locality in 
which he had formerly resided with the 
group, and where he had received the ter- 
rible beating which had made him an 
exile. He gnashed his teeth when he 
thought of the man who had vented his 

[56] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



jealous rage upon him and was wonder- 
ing in his mind how he could obtain re- 
venge. At that instant he turned around 
a point of rocks and found himself face to 
face with the giant himself. The fellow 
was all of a head taller and at least fifty 
pounds heavier than Longhead; his 
strength was immense and his temper 
ferocious. By reason of his size and 
fierce temper, as well as the surly grunts 
he generally used instead of words, he 
was known among the people of the 
group as the Bear. He was a veritable 
tyrant and most of the others were prac- 
tically his slaves. When Bear saw a man 
or woman with food he wanted, he 
reached for it with a roar, and it was at 
once given up or its owner was beaten 
nearly to death. He had a large number 

[57] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

of the women so terrified that they did 
not dare to associate with the other men; 
these he kept near himself and compelled 
them to supply him with food. Long- 
head had once persuaded one of these 
women to accompany him on a trip in 
search of food. They were absent several 
days, and on his return. Bear had given 
him the beating. Bear knew him at once, 
and with a howl of rage and uplifted 
club, rushed upon him. Longhead was 
terribly frightened, and for a moment 
forgot all about his spear, but in a second 
he recalled the fate of the pig and other 
animals and, with all his strength, he 
threw his javelin at the hairy breast of 
the advancing enemy, now but a pace or 
two distant. It went nearly through his 
body and, with a yell of pain, the giant 

[58] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



threw up his hands and fell to the ground. 
He tried to pull the weapon from his 
body, and failing in this, writhed in 
agony for a few moments and then lay 
perfectly still. He was dead, and Long- 
head looked with wonder and awe at his 
victim. 

Fighting was not uncommon among 
the men of that period, but being without 
dangerous weapons, the fights had gener- 
ally resulted in one or both the combat- 
ants being more or less seriously but not 
dangerously injured, and this was the first 
time Longhead had ever seen one human 
being killed by another. Deaths he had, 
of course, known, but they had been from 
disease, accident or wild animals. 

He now heard some of the people ap- 
proaching, and drawing his javelin from 

[59] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

the corpse, he concealed himself near-by 
to observe the effect when they should 
discover the body. There were three of 
the party, and at first they thought Bear 
asleep and shouted to arouse him, but 
when they discovered the blood and the 
hole in his breast, they perceived that he 
was dead. 

Longhead in hiding heard no expres- 
sions of sorrow or regret, for, to tell the 
truth. Bear was no favorite with the 
group. His immense size and irascible 
disposition had made him a bully, and 
there were few who had not been beaten 
by him at some time; therefore, the re- 
marks overheard by the man in hiding 
were rather to the effect that the finders 
were well enough pleased, but they ex- 
pressed great wonder at the wound and 

[60] 



Weapons — Cooked Food 



could not conceive what animal had 
caused it, especially as there were no 
marks of teeth ior claws or any other 
wounds on the body. They picked up 
the corpse, however, and started with it 
toward the late habitation of the giant. 
Longhead left his retreat and pro- 
ceeded thoughtfully toward the fire-cave. 
His revenge was gratified and he felt 
happy on that account, but the wonder- 
ful character of his weapon was begin- 
ning to dawn upon his dull intelligence, 
and he no longer feared man or beast. 
He dimly recognized that with such a 
weapon a small man was the equal of a 
giant. 



[6i] 



CHAPTER III 

GERMS OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION 

A FTER several months' residence at 
the fire-cave, during which none of their 
former neighbors had appeared in the 
vicinity, Longhead and Broken Tooth 
were seated at their fire one evening en- 
joying a hearty meal of cooked flesh and 
roasted tubers and eggs. The man had, 
thanks to his javelin, brought home all 
the meat he could carry, the fire blazed 
merrily and they were enjoying them- 
selves to the utmost when they were 
greeted by human voices from some trees 
near the cave. It appeared that a couple 

[62] 



Germs of Social Organization 

of their old neighbors had been hunting 
in that part of the forest and, night com- 
ing on, they had sought safety from dan- 
gerous animals by climbing a tree. This 
happened to be so near the cave that they 
caught sight of the light made by the fire, 
and the strange sight excited their 
curiosity. At first, they were greatly 
alarmed, never having seen fire before, 
but curiosity soon overcame fear, and, 
passing from tree to tree, they cautiously 
approached the platform. When quite 
near they recognized Longhead and 
Broken Tooth as old acquaintances and 
called out to them. They vs^ere at once 
invited to come down, but declined at 
first, being afraid of the strange light, 
but, being assured by the man and woman 
that there was no danger, they soon de- 

[63] 



Longhead; The Story of the First Fire 

scended, and very gingerly and with 
many pauses, after much encouragement, 
approached the platform. 

The genial warmth of the fire pleased 
them greatly and they asked Longhead 
what it was and where it came from. He 
made vague and mysterious answers and 
gave them little satisfaction. He told 
them, however, that the savage animals 
were afraid of the light and would not 
come near it, relating their adventure 
with Saber-Tooth their first night at the 
cave, and he assured them that if the fire 
was kept alive by a supply of fuel, one 
could sleep in the open forest at night 
without danger, and showed them the 
effect of putting on fresh fuel. He in- 
vited them to remain upon the platform 
for the night, informing them that but 

[64] 



Germs of Social Organization 

one must sleep at a time, the other re- 
maining awake to supply the fire with 
wood, of which he showed them the pile 
and instructed them to put but little on 
at a time, that it might not be exhausted 
before daylight. 

There was a goodly supply of meat at 
the cave, for the man had been successful 
in the day's hunt, and he and Broken 
Tooth now proceeded to cook some of it 
over the coals. When it was well done, 
they offered some to their guests. At first 
they were afraid of it and declined to 
taste until their hosts had eaten some, but, 
after the first taste they devoured it raven- 
ously and expressed great surprise and 
satisfaction at the improvement over raw 
meat. 

At a late hour Longhead and Broken 

[65] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

Tooth retired to their cave, leaving their 
guests seated at the fire. They both re- 
mained awake all night, replenishing the 
fire from time to time, as they had been 
instructed. They thoroughly enjoyed the 
new sensation of light and warmth as 
compared with the dark and chilly 
refuge of a tree-top, and they talked 
much of this new element and its mysteri- 
ous character. 

When Longhead and Broken Tooth 
emerged from the cave in the morning, 
their visitors were gone, and so was the 
last scrap of meat, for their guests had 
enjoyed the unusual hospitality to the 
fullest extent, by spending the night in 
roasting and eating until gorged, and had 
taken their departure as soon as it was 

fully daylight. 

[66] 



Germs of Social Organization 

It chanced that they returned to their 
group of people on the day of a general 
gathering, and over and over again they 
told the marvels they had witnessed the 
night before. Most of their auditors set 
them down as first-class liars, and not a 
few told them plainly what they thought 
of the story. On the second day, how- 
ever, three of the group agreed to accom- 
pany them to the fire-man's cave and 
verify the matter. The five arrived near 
the platform about dusk, and brought 
with them several small animals they had 
killed on the way. As dark was coming 
on, the fire burned brightly on the rocky 
bench in front of the cave. The two who 
had been visitors before advanced boldly, 
but when they neared the light, the others 
promptly climbed trees to view the 

[67] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

strange sight from a position of safety. 
They saw Longhead and Broken Tooth 
seated by the fire, and, when their com- 
panions reached the platform, they saw 
them welcomed and seated. These called 
to them to come on as there was nothing 
to fear, and finally, they climbed down 
and cautiously approached. Their sur- 
prise was great and their satisfaction un- 
bounded when they felt the warmth; and 
now the first comers suggested a trial of 
the new method of preparing food. Here 
a new surprise awaited them, for Long- 
head and Broken Tooth each produced 
a flint knife and proceeded to cut the 
animals in small pieces instead of tearing 
them, — a proceeding which the new- 
comers watched with great interest, for 
they had never before seen a knife. 

[68] 



Germs of Social Organization 

Longhead gave each a piece an-d showed 
how to hold it over the hottest part of the 
burning coals, and to turn it that all parts 
might be cooked and not scorched. 

They took the delight of children in a 
new game, and besides, they were hungry 
from their long tramp, and the feast 
lasted until all the meat and roasted roots 
had been disposed of, many questions be- 
ing asked, however, during the progress 
of the meal about the origin of the fire. 
These the man and woman answered 
mysteriously, and finally retired to the 
cave, leaving their guests more mystified 
than ever. 

The visitors remained awake most of 
the night, one or two sleeping while the 
others kept the fire supplied with fuel. 
It happened, also, that a couple of tigers 

[69] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

approached the light near enough to be 
seen by them, but sneaked off, afraid of 
the strange sight. 

This time they all remained until the 
man and woman arose in the morning, 
and then insisted that Longhead should 
tell them where the fire came from and 
how they could procure it for the benefit 
of the group. He answered as mysteri- 
ously as before, and pointed to the sky 
as the place from whence it came; but 
he gave them to understand that he con- 
trolled the mysterious agent; that there 
were plenty of caves in the ravine near-by, 
and if the group would take these for 
their habitations, he would not object to 
supplying them with the fire; and he 
showed them how it might be conveyed 
to a considerable distance by means of 

[70] 



Germs of Social Organization 

torches. He was careful, however, not 
to say anything about its preservation by 
means of the punk, and he declined to 
give any explanation in regard to the 
flint knives with which the meat had 
been cut. 

Since he had become acquainted with 
the use of fire, Longhead's intellect had 
expanded rapidly, and he now began to 
have a vague idea that he could make use 
of these secrets to his own personal ad- 
vantage. 

On their return to the group, the party 
reported that all the first two had said 
about the fire was true and the half had 
not been told. They enlarged upon the 
appetizing method of preparing food by 
roasting, and the warmth and comfort of 
the heat, to say nothing of the terror in 

[71] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

which the fire was held by the ferocious 
animals. 

They told of the caves in the vicinity 
of the fire-man's habitation and his offer 
to supply them all with fire, and pro- 
posed an immigration to the locality, that 
all might enjoy this new agent for man's 
comfort. 

Most of the group agreed to the propo- 
sition, and the next day removed with 
their few belongings and located them- 
selves in the caves of the ravine; but a 
few conservative old fellows said they 
would have nothing to do with such un- 
natural and mysterious business; and as 
to roasting meat, it was surely intended 
that it should be eaten raw, else why were 
they furnished with hands to tear and 
teeth to chew, and besides, had not their 

[72] 



Germs of Social Organization 

fathers always eaten their meat raw? 
For their part, they would remain at the 
old locality and follow the old and tried 
methods, at least, until they should see if 
any harm befell the immigrants on ac- 
count of the innovation. 

By the time the procession of emi- 
grants had arrived at the fire-cave, Long- 
head and Broken Tooth had determined 
upon their own course of action, and 
when the new-comers had selected their 
respective caves and came to be in- 
structed in the use of fire. Longhead told 
each that as this mysterious agent was his 
property and he alone could produce or 
destroy it, he would require of each that 
he should bring an armful of fuel or a 
present of food when he came for fire; 
and further, that if the fire on any hearth 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

should go out, it should not be rekindled 
with that of a neighbor, but by a torch 
lighted at his own central fire; and he 
threatened that if these rules should be 
violated, he would at once extinguish all 
the fires and retire to a distant part of the 
forest, leaving them in their former con- 
dition. 

So beneficial did the people by this 
time believe the fire to be, that they all 
readily agreed to his terms, and scattered 
through the forest to secure armfuls of 
fuel with which to purchase the blessing, 
except a few who happened to have food 
to exchange. As each threw down his 
contribution he received a lighted torch 
and was given instruction how to kindle 
his fire, and, by the time it became dark, 
the whole ravine was brilliantly illumi- 

[74] 



Germs of Social Organization 

nated and merry with the shouts of old 
and young as they gathered for the first 
time around hearthstones and enjoyed 
light and heat. 

Those who had visited the fire-cave 
before the immigration, proceeded at 
once to roast their meat and tubers, and 
the others imitated them, though a few 
concluded to eat theirs raw until they 
might see if the new method was injuri- 
ous to those who tried it. The first touch 
of the hot meat with lips or fingers 
brought exclamations of surprise or fear 
from some, but, on the whole, cooking 
was voted a success and was thereafter 
universally practiced. 



[75] 



v-^e>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ts>> 



CHAPTER IV 

CO - OPERATION 



J\ FEW days after the arrival of the 
colony of settlers at the fire-cave, the 
conservatives of the group who had re- 
mained at the old home could no longer 
control their curiosity, and so, one after- 
noon they approached the vicinity of the 
new settlement, after cautiously recon- 
noitering from the tree-tops. When dis- 
covered, they were cordially invited to 
approach, for the old selfishness and ex- 
clusiveness seemed to melt away under 
the influence of fire and the companion- 
ship it inculcated, and they were soon 

[76] 



Co-operation 



enjoying for the first time roasted car- 
rots and broiled meat. They soon lost 
their shyness and fear under the new 
conditions, and remained permanent 
denizens of the settlement. 

The men of the group soon observed 
the flint knives and spear-heads used by 
Longhead; they at once appreciated 
their superior effectiveness as weapons, 
and importuned him to supply them with 
similar ones, or teach them how to make 
them for themselves. He was now too 
shrewd, however, to risk the loss of any 
of his prestige by revealing the secret of 
their manufacture, but agreed to make 
them similar weapons for a considera- 
tion, payment of which should be made 
in the shape of food and fuel, the only 
commodities at that time of any value. 

177^ 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

Each man now brought him suitable 
sticks for javelins and spears, and for 
each he made a long spear, two javelins 
and a knife. 

When the first supply of flakes was 
exhausted. Longhead heated another 
nodule of flint and poured water on it 
from a piece of bark, but he was careful 
to do this when none of the others were 
about; and thus maintained both secrecy 
and a supply of materials. 

The control of fire and the manufac- 
ture of these valuable and mysterious 
weapons, gave Longhead a standing in 
the group which none had ever before 
attained. Human society had not yet 
been organized in any form; there were 
no laws, no rules and no chiefs. Each 
did exactly as he pleased, and if there was 

[78] 



Co-operation 

any restraint at all upon a man's actions, 
it came not from a sense of justice, morals 
or ethics, but simply the fear of a beating 
by the injured party, if any of his sup- 
posed rights were infringed upon. 

Soon, however, individuals began to 
consult Longhead in regard to ordinary 
affairs. One would ask him if there 
would be rain during the day; another, 
the direction he should take for a pros- 
perous hunt, and, as he was always care- 
ful to make replies which were somewhat 
vague and mysterious, except where he 
had certain knowledge, he soon acquired 
a reputation for superior wisdom. 

Longhead, now relieved, to some ex- 
tent, from the daily exertion necessary to 
procure food for himself and Broken 
Tooth, by the contributions of many who, 

[79] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

through indolence or ignorance, per- 
mitted their fires to become extin- 
guished, had much time for thought, and, 
as he sat making weapons, the manufac- 
ture of which brought him additional 
supplies, it one day occurred to him that 
if a number of the men armed with the 
new weapons could be employed at the 
same time against larger animals there- 
tofore always avoided, the people might 
combat with them successfully and thus 
the food supply might be largely in- 
creased. This was the first suggestion of 
cooperation, and the idea but slowly took 
form in his mind, though it recurred to 
him almost daily. Up to this time each 
man had hunted alone, and if two or 
more happened to be in company, it was 
by the merest accident; but, as Long- 

[80] 



Co-operation 

head worked out the problem, he con- 
cluded that if a number could be directed 
by an intelligent leader, their efforts 
might be successful, and he determined 
to make the experiment at the earliest 
opportunity. 

About this time a hunter returned one 
afternoon in great excitement, and re- 
ported that a large rhinoceros had partly 
mired in a swamp near the settlement. 
He said the huge animal was able to 
make but little progress and might be 
approached quite near without grave dan- 
ger. This was Longhead's opportunity 
to try his experiment of cooperation. 
Fortunately, there were quite a number 
of the men about that day, and he at once 
called them together, told them to bring 

their weapons and accompany him to the 

[8i] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

swamp. He assumed the leadership of 
the party, and when they approached the 
swamp, each was directed to gather a 
bundle of dry grass, reeds and brush. 
These he had thrown down as they pro- 
gressed, to give them footing in the soft 
ooze, and soon they had a tolerably firm 
path from the solid ground to a place 
near the great beast. On their approach 
the rhinoceros made no further attempt 
at progress, but he turned his head with 
its long sharp horn toward his foes and, 
with loud snorts of rage, seemed to dare 
them to come nearer. Their ancient fear 
of this formidable animal made the men 
hesitate, but under the peremptory orders 
of Longhead, they ventured forward and 
threw their javelins into the body of the 
huge animal. It must be confessed that 

[82] 




SOON THEY HAD A TOLERABLY FIRM PATH FROM THE 
SOLID GROUND TO A PLACE NEAR THE GREAT BEAST." 



Co-operation 



for some time the attack seemed only to 
increase his rage, he made vigorous ef- 
forts to reach his tormentors and snorted 
loudly. But while, for the most part, the 
javelins did not penetrate beyond the 
thick layer of fat which surrounded the 
animal's body, a few had reached some of 
the larger blood-vessels, and when these 
were broken off or torn out in the des- 
perate struggles of the beast, the blood 
poured forth in torrents and he soon be- 
gan to weaken; his snorting was no 
longer so loud and he would lie down 
occasionally as if to rest, closing his eyes 
and breathing loudly but with evident 
difficulty. During one of these resting 
spells. Longhead came close to him and 
thrust his long spear with all his might 
into the animal's body just back of his 

[83] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

shoulder. When it was withdrawn, the 
blood spouted from the wound and also 
from the mouth of the beast, and soon its 
eyes grew dim, its struggles grew less fre- 
quent and violent, and finally ceased en- 
tirely, for the great rhinoceros was dead. 
Longhead now, for a while, lost con- 
trol of the situation. The men went 
simply wild. Their shouts filled the air, 
and to these were joined the shrill cries 
of the women and children who had ap- 
proached the swamp and had been inter- 
ested witnesses of the battle and its result. 
The great animal — an abundance of 
food for several days — was theirs. They 
had occasionally before this happened 
upon the body of one of these animals, 
killed in one of the fights which fre- 
quently occurred between the males of 

[84] 



Co-operation 



the species, but, without knives, they had 
been unable to tear the thick hide, and 
even v^hen it had been torn by wolves or 
bears, the meat was so tough they were 
able to obtain but a few small pieces. 
Their present hilarity might certainly be 
excused. 

Soon Longhead began issuing orders 
and enforcing them by punches with the 
blunt end of his spear or sound blows 
with the pole, and some semblance of 
order was obtained. By his direction, 
men, women and children joined in 
bringing more brush and grass. This 
was piled close to the carcass and the men 
with their flint knives proceeded to cut 
up the huge body. The women and chil- 
dren carried loads of meat to the settle- 
ment, and soon most of the flesh was re- 

[85] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

moved. The head was dragged by the 
men to Longhead's cave and set upon a 
stick on the platform as his trophy, while 
all stood around and roused the echoes 
of the ravine with their yells and accla- 
mations, — the first time a public ac- 
knowledgement was ever given a leader. 

Such feasting the group had never 
known. At each fire, large pieces of 
rhinoceros steak were roasted on coals or 
sticks, and for several days, every man, 
woman and child was literally too full 
for utterance. 

After this experience, Longhead, as 
the organizer and leader of the codpera- 
tive attack on the rhinoceros and the final 
slayer of the animal, was, by common con- 
sent, regarded as the head of the group; 

his advice was sought on all occasions, 

[86] 



Co-operation 



and his word was law. He gradually 
assumed the direction of everything that 
was done. 

Having demonstrated the strength of 
cooperative hunting, he organized easily 
a squad of the bravest and most active of 
the men as special hunters of large game. 
Each was armed with a long spear, two 
javelins and a knife, and he required 
them to practice javelin throwing until 
each became expert. On a hunt these 
men always kept within hearing or sight 
of each other, and they soon originated 
a code of rude signals by which the whole 
party might be informed of the appear- 
ance of any large animal. 

This band of hunters, on their first ex- 
pedition, led by Longhead in person, 
encountered a drove of wild hogs. When 

[87] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

each man had hunted alone with stones 
and clubs as his only weapons, these sav- 
age creatures were almost as much 
dreaded as the cave lion or the saber- 
tooth tiger, and now when they appeared, 
nearly every hunter, mindful of his old 
fear, scrambled into a tree; but at Long- 
head's command they descended, and he 
organized them into a compact body, 
back to back. When the hogs charged 
in their usual manner, the slaughter 
wrought by the spears and javelins was 
so great that not an animal escaped, for, 
in accordance with their habit, the hogs 
knew nothing of retreat, and the last sur- 
vivor charged as bravely as if at the head 
of the herd. 

Again cooperation had triumphed, and 
the settlement feasted for many days. 

[88] 



Co-operation 



The genius for leadership shown by 
LongheaH, together with the superiority 
of the weapons he had invented, and, 
above all, his mysterious control of the 
fire, had now firmly established him as 
leader or chief, and none thought of ques- 
tioning his authority in anything. There 
had been no election to the office, nor, in- 
deed, any consultation on the subject; he 
simply assumed the leadership and the 
group acquiesced by compliance with his 
commands. 

This first social organization for co- 
operation in hunting — the germ from 
which all governments and laws have 
grown — - was not the only one resulting 
from the use of fire. The manifest bless- 
ings or comforts due to its use, and the 
mysterious manner of its production in 

[89] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

the fire-cave hidden from the sight of all, 
began to give rise to the idea that Long- 
head and Broken Tooth must be in com- 
munication with some superior being. 

It cannot be said that man at that time 
had any religion, any conception of a god, 
or indeed, any definite idea of super- 
natural beings, but there were many mys- 
teries of nature which he could in no wise 
comprehend. Incapable of speculative 
thought, or, indeed, of much continuous 
thought of any kind, he was unable to dis- 
tinguish clearly between the animate and 
inanimate ; he attributed active life to all 
surrounding objects and believed even the 
trees and plants to put on foliage, blos- 
som and produce fruit because they de- 
sired to do so. When a rock, loosened by 
the action of frost and storm, became de- 

[90] 



Co-operation 



tached from a cliff and rolled into the 
valley below, it did so of its own accord 
and was regarded with fear. A man 
would make a wide circuit to avoid it in 
passing and none would voluntarily ap- 
proach it. They lived in a region of 
cliffs and mountains and when one gave 
a shout, under proper conditions, his 
words were repeated, sometimes more 
than once ; and none could find the mys- 
terious beings who did the mocking; in- 
deed, after vain searches, they became 
convinced that the tantalizing mockings 
came from beings invisible to man, con- 
sequently his superiors and, therefore, 
dangerous. They began to avoid the 
glens and valleys wherein echoes 
abounded, or, if compelled to pass 
through them, did so in silence that their 

[91] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

dangerous neighbors might not be pro- 
voked to do them an injury. The curl- 
ing mist rolling silently down the moun- 
tain side, was to them another mysteri- 
ous being of whom they stood in awe, 
and thunder, lightning and storm each 
became to them personified and living 
supernatural beings who terrified them. 
They had yet no belief that man had a 
soul or spirit which existed after his 
death. This thpught was to come ages 
thereafter. 

It was not long until it was suggested 
that Longhead must have subjected to his 
control one or more powerful but invisi- 
ble beings whom he kept shut up in his 
cave under the guardianship of the 
woman, and who, at his command, pro- 
duced the fire and wonderful weapons. 

[92] 



Co-operation 



That Broken Tooth was the guardian of 
these beings, made mystery attach to her 
as well, and they began to look upon her 
with fear and reverence also. The man 
and woman encouraged this by becom- 
ing more mysterious than ever. When 
further questioned in regard to the fire, 
they boldly asserted that the whispered 
stories were true; that their control of 
fire and the ability on the part of the 
man to make superior weapons was due 
to supernatural beings who frequented 
the cave and were subject to them. They 
asserted that these beings were so power- 
ful they could strike them all with instant 
death, and would have done so but for 
the intercession of the fire-man and the 
woman to whose control they were sub- 
ject; but the people were assured that so 

[93] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

long as Longhead and Broken Tooth 
should be treated with proper respect, 
their wants satisfied and their commands 
obeyed, they would not permit these 
malevolent beings to molest any of the 
group, and the fire should not be taken 
away. 

Soon the people of the group at the 
fire-cave were informed that the fire- 
spirits desired the man to remain most 
of the time at or near the cave that they 
might converse with him at all times and 
instruct him in additional methods for 
promoting the happiness and welfare of 
the people, and it would, therefore, be 
impossible for him to take part in the 
daily hunt for game, though he would 
still lead them in important expeditions. 
On this account he directed that each 

[94] 



Co-operation 

member of the group should daily bring 
to the fire-cave contributions of food, suf- 
ficient not only for the wants of the man, 
but of the woman and spirits also. The 
people readily believed this, for they 
were incapable of conceiving that such 
beings as spirits had not need of material 
food, and, consequently, each brought his 
or her offering daily, either of food or 
fuel. If by reason of failure in the chase, 
an unfortunate hunter had no offering to 
bring, he was required to come to the 
cave and, through the medium of Long- 
head, ask pardon of the spirits, and bring 
a double portion the next time. 

To all this the people of the group 
readily submitted; Longhead and 
Broken Tooth lived in comfort, if not in 
luxury, without any effort upon their 

[95] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

part; the people were educated to ask 
the forgiveness of superior and super- 
natural beings whose existence was 
shrouded in mystery, through the me- 
dium of a priest whose natural wants 
they were required to supply; and thus 
a religious worship with a dedicated and 
supported priesthood, if not a religion 
itself, was established among men. 



1 96] 



%,iSt —^ ^_ i u __J 5'i^ - ^ t>» 



CHAPTER V 

DAWN OF INVENTION, ART, MARRIAGE, 
RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT 

Affairs at the settlement near the 
fire-cave now moved along smoothly. 
Their new weapons enabled the hunters 
to secure abundance of food in a country 
teeming with animal life, now that they 
dared attack the larger animals. Cook- 
ing made both the flesh and vegetables 
more nourishing as well as more appe- 
tizing, and soon the enormous stomachs, 
no longer continually distended with raw 
and indigestible food, became reduced in 
size and their bodies less unwieldy. 

[97] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

Made confident by the use of fire and 
superior weapons, the men now walked 
fully erect and wandered through the 
forest with little fear. As their supply of 
nourishing food increased, more children 
were born than before, and the mortality 
among infants was greatly reduced. All 
this tended toward a rapid increase of 
population in the settlement. This in- 
crease in the population necessitated more 
habitations, and this, at the time meant 
more caves, for this was the epoch of 
cave-men. After all the available caves 
in the ravine and vicinity had been ap- 
propriated, an enterprising young man 
of the group who, by reason of mutual 
attachment and because of the example, 
perhaps, of Longhead and Broken Tooth, 
had induced a young woman to establish 

[98] 



Dawn of Invention 



similar relations with him, being unable 
to find an unoccupied cave, concluded to 
establish housekeeping upon a horizontal 
ledge overhung by a projecting rocky- 
cliff. This location, protected only in 
the rear, soon proved to be too exposed 
for comfort, and the couple concluded to 
improve it. They took several good sized 
sticks of different lengths which had been 
burned off by the fires and after leaning 
them up against the sloping rock, piled 
on brush and grass. This was much bet- 
ter than the open front, but a coal from 
their fire having blown into the grass 
after it had dried, caused a conflagration 
which reduced them to their former con- 
dition. The man proved to be quite in- 
telligent, and he began to select logs of 
the same length, burning them off at the 

[99] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

proper place when necessary; and these 
they sloped up side by side at the front as 
before, but, mindful of the fire, they filled 
the interstices with sticks, stones and moss, 
finally plastering the whole front, except 
for a small opening for entrance, with 
mud. This was a great improvement 
over all former conditions; the rain and 
wind were excluded, to a considerable 
extent; indeed, it was preferable to a 
cave. It was lighter and better ven- 
tilated, and, when they had learned to 
construct movable frames which could be 
securely fastened in the doorways, to pre- 
vent incursions by wild animals, these 
lean-tos or rock-shelters, the remains of 
which have been found in many parts of 
Europe, became the favorite habitations 
of the people of the group. 

[ 100 ] 



Dawn of Invention 



The inhabitants of the caves and rock- 
sfielters did not clean house every spring 
and fall, or, indeed, at any other time; 
the refuse and debris of the household 
were allowed to accumulate upon the 
floors of the caves and rock-shelters, and 
to this we owe nearly all the knowledge 
possessed by civilized man of the domes- 
tic arts, weapons, food, etc., and the gen- 
eral conditions under which the cave-men 
lived, as well as of the animals which 
were their contemporaries. The floors of 
these ancient dwellings, when excavated 
by scientists, show several feet of debris 
or accumulations, which are called 
" brecchia," being a conglomeration of 
dirt, bones of animals, bones of human 
beings, weapons, implements and other 
artifacts, which are frequently cemented 

I loi ] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

with limestone formations caused by the 
drippings of the rocks and caves, in the 
nature of stalactites and stalagmites. 

Not only have we learned from this 
" brecchia " what progress the cave-men 
had made in domestic art, but our knowl- 
edge of the animals which lived in the 
locality and were their contemporaries is 
almost wholly derived from rude pic- 
tures made by these cave people, who 
seem to have suddenly developed an artis- 
tic sense and made such pictures by etch- 
ing or scratching them with sharp flints 
upon pieces of bone, ivory and slate. 
These drawings are by no means so crude 
and wanting in artistic skill as we would 
be inclined to expect. The animals de- 
picted are readily recognizable; such 
drawings show groups of reindeer, now 

[ I02 ] 



Dawn of Invention 



found only in the arctic regions ; the wild 
horse ; the single horned rhinoceros ; the 
giant elk; and on a smooth piece of his 
own tusk, we see the curved-tusked, hairy 
elephant of gigantic size — the mam- 
moth, or elephas primigenius^ whose 
bones have been found in many parts of 
Europe and Asia, and of which at least 
one specimen was found whole with the 
flesh intact, in the frozen tundra of Si- 
beria. But for these drawings — the 
natural history of his time — left by 
cave-men, we would not know that im- 
mense animals, now long extinct in Eu- 
rope, had contested with men of the cave 
period, the ownership of the forests, 
swamps, plains and mountains. 

In the " brecchia " of these caves, are 
often found long bones of animals which 

[103] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

have been split longitudinally to obtain 
the marrow, which was regarded as a 
great delicacy by primitive man; and as 
some long bones of the human body have 
been found split in the same manner, 
some scientists have concluded that cave 
men were cannibals, or at least occasion- 
ally made a feast upon the bodies of pris- 
oners captured in war, or upon such sac- 
rifices when offered to the gods. 

At the time when rock-shelters became 
favorite habitations of the people at the 
fire-cave, marriage relations were still 
loose, and any idea of male parentage was 
yet to come, but in a few generations, in- 
stead of accepting the birth of children 
without thought, it was generally be- 
lieved that the supernatural beings with 
whom their imaginations peopled the 

[104] 



Dawn of Invention 



hills, valleys, groves and ravines, were re- 
sponsible for their advent. However, the 
more frequent and intimate association of 
the sexes around the fires and in prepar- 
ing food by roasting, had a great effect, 
and it was noticeable that men and 
women began to pair off in the caves and 
rock-shelters ; that such cohabitation con- 
tinued for longer periods of time, and 
there were a number who appeared to 
have formed permanent unions. There 
was something about the fire — the social 
hearthstone — which tended to prolong 
such associations. The cheerful light of 
the fires; the measure of comfort they 
furnished, and the talkativeness promoted 
by companionship as the hunters related 
around the evening fires the adventures 
and experiences of that and former days, 

[105] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

all combined to make man more of a 
social being, and the same influences pro- 
moted more permanency of union be- 
tween couples who found themselves at 
all congenial. 

Perhaps the example of Longhead and 
Broken Tooth, who had remained true 
to each other, had something to do with 
this gradual change in the relations of 
the sexes, but it was not until many gen- 
erations after when the fact of male 
parentage became known to mankind, 
that anything at all like marriage was 
known or any man regarded any child 
or children as his own. There being no 
settled custom in this matter, many 
couples continued to unite and separate 
as they might feel inclined. The most 
that can be said is, that the use of fire 

[io6] 



Dawn of Invention 



in some manner appeared to promote a 
longer union than was common before 
its discovery, and that, in the progress of 
ages, fire seems to have been one of the 
agencies which greatly assisted in bring- 
ing about the present sacredness of home 
and marriage. 

The hunters of the group still con- 
tinued their cooperative search for food, 
and the fact that it was often impossible 
to determine who had killed a particular 
animal, while it was frequently certain 
that the weapons and efforts of several 
had a part in it, brought about a system 
for making an equitable distribution of 
all the animals taken in each expedition. 
First the share required by Longhead 
and Broken Tooth would be set apart, 
then the remainder was apportioned to 

[107] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

each member of the group or to each 
habitation in proportion to the number of 
persons to be supported. 

The women, too, whose task it was to 
find the roots and vegetables, eggs, ber- 
ries and nuts which entered into their 
diet, began to imitate the actions of the 
men in this respect. They soon arranged 
to leave the older and more feeble women 
at the settlement to maintain the fires and 
look after the younger children, and to 
these was allotted a share of the food se- 
cured by the others. 

These customs were established grad- 
ually and without definite enactments, or 
even agreements, but by common consent; 
they were, however, greatly promoted by 
Longhead, who seemed to make coopera- 
tion a sort of a hobby. They seemed to 

[io8] 



Dawn of Invention 



have just happened, but they were, in 
fact, the natural outgrowth of fire and 
the changed conditions due to its influ- 
ence. In the course of years these cus- 
toms crystallized into a communal organ- 
ization in which all things, except per- 
haps, the weapons of a hunter and a very 
few personal belongings upon which the 
owner had expended thought and labor, 
were regarded as the property of the 
group or tribe. This communal organ- 
ization of society continued for thousands 
of years and its vestiges still exist amid 
the highest enlightenment, as the founda- 
tion for business corporations, partner- 
ships, and, indeed, all commercial and 
other cooperation, — communism — the 
greatest good to the greatest number, be- 
ing the basis of all civilized laws. 

[ 109 ] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

While the hunters of the settlement at 
the fire-cave scoured the forest for animal 
food, and the women sought vegetables, 
nuts, berries and eggs, Longhead was by 
no means idle. True, he was, by the con- 
tributions exacted from the group, re- 
lieved from the necessity of daily effort 
to secure sustenance for himself, Broken 
Tooth and a bright-eyed little cave-boy 
who had been sent to the woman by the 
spirits, and he seldom joined in a hunting 
excursion; but, weapons were often 
broken or lost, and, as he still retained 
the secret of their manufacture, he was 
kept tolerably busy in replacing them. 
Continual experience in this work gave 
him greater skill and a truer eye for sym- 
metry of form coupled with effectiveness 
for use, and he also learned to distinguish 

[no] 



Dawn of Invention 



the best materials of the vicinage. He 
invented no new weapons, for the bow 
and arrow and even the stone axe, were 
to be the products of a much later epoch ; 
but he discovered that a javelin could be 
thrown with much greater accuracy if the 
two sides of the flint point were exactly 
alike and evenly balanced. Experience 
had also demonstrated to him that the 
weapon had greater penetrative force if 
the flake for the flint head was thin and 
the edges and point very sharp. He be- 
came more careful, therefore, in the se- 
lection of his flakes, and when he found 
one suitable for his use, except one side 
was larger than the other or the edges too 
thick, he found that he could batter off 
small pieces with light blows of a pebble, 
or flake them by pressure with a bone, 

[III] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

and thus bring it into shape. He discov- 
ered also that when the base of a flake 
had some notches near it, the fastenings 
remained more firm and the point was 
less likely to become detached from the 
shaft. He therefore began, by pecking 
and flaking, to form such notches where 
he did not find them to suit him, and soon 
his spear and javelin heads assumed a 
conventional form. There was a slow but 
continuous improvement in the weapons 
of the period, but eventually these spear 
and knive heads became much like those 
still found upon the village sites of primi- 
tive man all over the world. 

The worst trouble Longhead had to 
overcome in the manufacture of weapons 
was the method of fastening the points to 
the shafts or handles. The small fibrous 

[112], 



^Dawn of Invention 



roots 'he used at first would fray and 
break when they became dry, and the 
points would be lost or fail the hunter at 
a critical moment. The stringy bark he 
cut from trees with his knife was little 
better, but, one day when cutting up a 
large animal for cooking, he found its 
hide so tough he could hardly penetrate it 
with the knife, an idea occurred to him, 
and he cut off a long narrow strip of the 
skin for an experiment. This he hung up 
until he should have time to make the test 
he had in mind, and when he came to try 
it he found that he could not break it 
even by exerting all his strength. From 
the skin of the next animal that came into 
his larder, he secured a number of long 
strips, and, having dried these, he wet 
them to make them more pliable, and 

["3] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

used some of them in lashing a point to a 
javelin. This weapon he tested by fre- 
quent use, and was pleased to note that 
the new lashing did not fray or break 
when it became dry, nor did it loosen, 
but, on the contrary, the strings of raw- 
hide shrank when drying and held the 
point the tighter. Thereafter the tough 
hides were removed, dried and prepared 
for strings for this and other purposes, 
and it was not long until he accidentally 
discovered that wet wood ashes placed 
on a skin for a few hours would loosen 
the hair and permit its removal, leaving 
the skin improved for making strings. 

About this time Broken Tooth made a 
discovery and, like the others, it was also 
accidental. In her cooking operations, 
pieces of food were continually falling 

[114] 



Dawn of Invention 



upon the ground or being laid upon it 
in course of preparation, and they be- 
came more or less covered with sand or 
fine particles of grit, which did not taste 
good, and, besides, they hurt her teeth. 
She had no idea of their uncleanliness; 
it was simply a matter of discomfort. 
One day she observed a long strip of 
bark hanging to a tree which had re- 
cently blown over, and the idea occurred 
to her that if she had some pieces of this 
bright, clean bark on which to place the 
food, the disagreeable sand might be 
avoided. She tried to break the bark, 
but it was too tough and stringy, so she 
went to the cave and returned with a 
flake of flint. It happened to have a 
sharp but very ragged edge, and she 
found that by drawing the edge back and 

[115] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

forth across the grain of the bark and 
at the same time putting on some pres- 
sure, she could cut it rapidly. That eve- 
ning she surprised Longhead by present- 
ing his supper on a set of clean bark 
dishes. The man examined them curi- 
ously and asked how she had cut them. 
She produced the flint and demonstrated 
on one of the plates how it would cut. 
She had invented, or at least, she had 
made the first application of the saw. 

The man examined the flake thought- 
fully, and, picking up a piece of stick, 
tried it on that. He soon sawed it off, 
and was greatly pleased. To get the 
staves of his spears and handles of jave- 
lins the right length, he had been burning 
them off in the fire, but now he would 
use a saw. He soon found that the more 

[ii6] 



Dawn of Invention 



numerous and regular the notches the 
faster the implement would cut, and, as 
few, if any, of the flakes came off the 
nodules in this condition, he applied 
pecking and pressure, and soon had a 
saw with small and regular serrations or 
teeth, and found it very useful. 

Up to this time, all his knives had been 
made of long flakes with a wrapping of 
roots at one end to protect the hand, but 
he had found it difficult to secure many 
flakes long enough for both blade and 
handle. One day he had the misfortune 
to break the shaft of his favorite spear. 
It had a thin blade which was very long 
and sharp, and the rawhide strings held 
it firmly. He attempted to untie the 
lashings, that he might use the blade for 
another shaft^ but they had become so 

[117] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

hard and dry that he could not succeed 
in untying them. He picked up his saw 
to cut them, but first began idly to draw 
it across the shaft. At once he noticed 
that if cut off at the point where he was 
sawing, the spear would become a knife 
with a wooden handle. The operation 
was quickly completed, and he found the 
new style of knife much superior to the 
old. Flakes of this size were much more 
frequently produced in breaking a 
nodule with fire and water, and all his 
knives were thereafter furnished with 
wooden handles. 

The saw thus became one of the most 
useful of his few tools. Thus the flint 
saw, discovered by accident by a primi- 
tive woman, was the germ from which 

has been elaborated, with little change 

[ii8] 



Dawn of Invention 



except for material, one of the most use- 
ful tools known to civilized man. 

When the little cave-boy of their fam- 
ily was something over a year old, a small 
girl was brought by the spirits, and as 
the children grew and thrived, Broken 
Tooth began to suggest that their present 
home was becoming crowded. The cave 
was indeed a small one for two, three 
made it uncomfortable, and now four 
was certainly a crowd. Longhead first 
proposed searching for a cave of larger 
proportions, but to this Broken Tooth 
raised several objections. All the larger 
caves in the vicinity were already occu- 
pied, and, while they might no doubt use 
the authority of the spirits to compel the 
present occupants to vacate a cave for 
their use, this course was sure to create 

["9] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

ill feeling which, sooner or later, might 
work to their disadvantage; and, besides, 
where could they find one with so large 
a platform in front and so well protected 
by overhanging rock. Could not some 
plan be devised to enlarge this one? and 
she called Longhead's attention to the 
fact that the rock inside was soft and 
friable, and that small pieces were con- 
tinually falling down, which she carried 
out and threw over the edges of the plat- 
form. 

The man undertook to make the cavity 
larger by pulling down and removing all 
the loose pieces, but, when this was done, 
little increase in the size of their home 
was apparent. On one side the man no- 
ticed that the rock was full of small 

cracks and seams, but these were so 

[120] 



Dawn of Invention 



tightly fitted and irregular that he could 
remove but few of the stones with his 
hands. One piece that was quite loose he 
tried for a long time to pull out, but it 
pinched too tightly at one corner. In a 
rage, he picked up a large, sharp cor- 
nered piece of flint with both hands and 
struck it with all his might into the crack 
which held the tightest. The piece that 
bound it was broken and the stone fell 
out, followed by a number of others. 
Another discovery of the value of flint 
pieces had been made — a pick had been 
found, and daily both Longhead and 
Broken Tooth spent some hours digging 
at the loosened rocks until, in the course 
of time, they had a cave sufficiently large 
for their needs, and in succeeding years 
this was extended, as the growth of the 

[121] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

family and their ideas of comfort de- 
manded. 

By the same means Longhead removed 
the irregularities of the floor and side 
walls, and finally he somewhat enlarged 
the doorway, gave it a more regular 
shape, and substituted strong wooden 
bars, held in place by notches cut in the 
stone, for the large stones they had for- 
merly rolled into the opening at night to 
prevent the entrance of dangerous ani- 
mals. The curious inhabitants of the set- 
tlement watched these operations, and it 
was not long until many other caves were 
thus enlarged and more comfort secured. 

During the remainder of Longhead's 
life, little further progress was made in 
the manufacture of weapons and imple- 
ments, other domestic arts or the condi- 

[ 122 ] 



Dawn of Invention 



tions of the group ; but the flint saw be- 
came a common implement and was ap- 
plied to various uses; many of the fam- 
ilies used bark dishes, and a sort of rude 
basket had been evolved from naturally- 
curled cylinders of bark into which a bot- 
tom of bark or interlacing of rawhide 
strings had been inserted. These were 
used to transport nuts, berries, wild fruit, 
eggs, etc., to the caves and as receptacles 
in which to retain the same afterwards. 
No basketry or other weaving process 
had been thought of, nor had there been 
any attempt made to manufacture or use 
any kind of clothing, the skins of animals 
being used only for strings, or occasion- 
ally to carry food products. 

Social conditions also remained prac- 
tically the same, but food was more easily 

[123] 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

procured in consequence of slowly ex- 
tending cooperation, and the method of 
its preparation by cooking made it more 
nourishing, consequently more of the 
children grew to manhood and woman- 
hood, and the average of life was longer. 
The possession of effective weapons con- 
tinued to render men less fearful, they 
became more and more erect and grew 
to a taller stature. 

The inventions and improvement in 
conditions already described were the 
necessary and almost immediate results 
of the control and use of fire, and when 
this point was reached, further progress 
for many generations can scarcely have 
been considerable. Primitive man was 
not fertile in original ideas, nor inven- 
tive, except from accident aided by neces- 
[ 124 ] 



Dawn of Invention 



sity, and the use of the bow and arrow, 
stone axe, baskets, weaving and pottery- 
were to come many generations after the 
death of Longhead, Broken Tooth and 
their fellows of the fire-cave settlement. 
A method for producing fire by friction 
of wood upon wood, after the method of 
the fire-drill, which has been common to 
nearly all primitive peoples who have 
come under the observation of civilized 
men, probably came with the other later 
discoveries, but it was doubtless still 
longer before any clothing was used, and 
then, at first, it was most likely more for 
ornament than for comfort or any feeling 
of modesty. 

However, the succeeding generations 
of the group described never lost the in- 
ventions of Longhead, and in after ages, 

[125 a 



Longhead: The Story of the First Fire 

when the idea of a Supreme Being or 
beings had been elaborated as a religion, 
he was deified and worshipped as a god 
and the founder of the tribe or people. 

The descendants of Broken Tooth — 
for descent for many ages was still reck- 
oned only in the female line — continued 
to be the weapon-makers and rulers of 
the tribe, and from them were the fire- 
priests always selected, when the worship 
of fire, with a consecrated priesthood and 
a more or less elaborate ritual, had been 
developed. 

Many ages were to pass with a slow 
but continued upward progress before 
this group of fire-people entered even 
the lowest stages of barbarism, but cer- 
tainly the discovery of the use and con- 
trol of fire had much to do with the early 

[126] 



Dawn of Invention 



progress of the rude people described, 
and whose individuals, we have assumed 
for the purposes of the story, were our 
own far away ancestors. 



THE END 



[ 127 ] 



POLLYANNA 



St/ Eleanor H. Porter 

Author of " Miss Billy," " Miss Billy's Decision," etc. 





1 2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, net $1.25 ; postpaid $1 .40 



"Enter Pollyanna! She is. the daintiest, dearest, most 
irresistible maid you have met in all your journeyings through 
Bookland. And you forget she is a story girl, for Pollyanna 
is so real that after your first introduction you will feel the 
inner circle of your friends has admitted a new member. A 
brave, winsome, modern American girl, Pollyanna walks into 
print to take her place in the hearts of all members of the 
family." 

Of " Miss Billy " the critics have written as follows: 

" To say of any story that it makes the reader's heart feel warm and 
happy is to pay it praise of sorts, undoubtedly. Well, that's the very praise 
one gives ' Miss Billy.' " — Edwin L. Shuman in the Chicago Record-Herald. 

" The story is delightful and as for Billy herself — she's all right! " — 
Philadelphia Press. 

" There is a fine humor in the book, some good revelation of character 
and plenty of romance of the most unusual order." — The Philadelphia 
Inquirer. 

" There is something altogether fascinating about ' Miss Billy,' some 
inexplicable feminine characteristic that seems to demand the individual 
attention of the reader from the moment we open the book until we reluc- 
tantly turn the last page." — Boston Transcript. 

** The book is a wholesome story, as fresh in tone as it is graceful in ex- 
pression, and one may predict for it a wide audience." — Philadelphia Pub- 
lic Ledger. 

" Miss Billy is so carefree, so original and charming, that she lives in the 
reader's memory long after the book has been laid aside." — Boston Globe. 

" You cannot help but love dear ' Billy; ' she is winsome and attractive 
and you will be only too glad to introduce her to your friends." — Brooklyn 
Eagle. 



ij»»»:8:8»:8:(^:8»:8»»:8»»»3; 




THE CAREER OF DR. WEAVER 



Sy MfS' Henry W. Backus 



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A BIG and purposeful story interwoven about the respon- 
sibilities and problems in the medical proiession of the pres- 
ent day. Dr. Weaver, a noted specialist, and head of a private 
hospital, had allowed himself to drift away from the stand- 
ards of his youth in his desire for wealth and social and scien- 
tific prestige. When an expose of the methods employed by 
him in furthering his schemes for the glorifying of the name 
of " Weaver " in the medical world is threatened, it is frus- 
trated through the efforts of the famous doctor's younger 
brother. Dr. Jim. The story is powerful and compelling, 
even if it uncovers the problems and temptations of a physi- 
cian's career. Perhaps the most important character, not 
even excepting Dr. Weaver and Dr. Jim, is " The Girl," who 
plays such an important part in the lives of both men. 



"The story becomes one of those absorbing tales of to-day which the 
reader literally devours in an evening, unwilling to leave the book until the 
last page is reached, and constantly alert, through the skill of the author, in 
following the characters through the twisted ways of their career." — Boston. 
Journal. 

" The story is well- written, unique, quite out of the usual order, and is most 
captivating." — Christian Intelligencer. 



T HE HILL OF VEN US 

Si/ Nathan Qallizier 

Author of " Castel del Monte," " The Sorceress of Rome." " The 
Court of Lucifer.", etc. 

I2mo, cloth decorative t with four illustrations in color, net $1 .35; 
postpaid $1 .50 



Tms is a vivid and powerful romance of the thirteenth 
century in the times of the great GhibelUne wars, and deals 
with the fortunes of Francesco Villani, a monk, who has been 
coerced by his dying father to bind himself to the Church 
through a mistaken sense of duty, but who loves Ilaria, one 
of the famous beauties of the Court at Avellino. The excite- 
ment, splendor and stir of those days of activity in Rome are 
told with a vividness and daring, which give a singular fas- 
cination to the story. 



The Press has commented as follows on the author's previous 
books: 

" The author displays many of the talents that made Scott famous." — 
The Index. 

" The book is breathless reading, as much for the adventures, the pag- 
eants, the midnight excursions of the minor characters, as for the love story 
of the prince and Donna Lucrezia." — Boston Transcript. 

" Mr. Gallizier daringly and vividly paints in glowing word and phrases, 
in sparkling dialogue and colorful narrative, the splendor, glamor and stir 
in those days of excitement, intrigue, tragedy, suspicion and intellectual 
activity in Rome." — Philadelphia Press. 

" A splendid bit of old Roman mosaic, or a gorgeous piece of tapestry. 
Otto is a striking and pathetic figure. Description of the city, the gorgeous 
ceremonials of the court and the revels are a series of wonderful pictures." — 
Cincinnati Enquirer. 

" The martial spirit of these stirring times, weird beliefs in magic and 
religion are most admirably presented by the author, who knows his sub- 
ject thoroughly. It belongs to the class of Bulwer-Lytton's romances; care- 
fully studied, well wrought, and full of exciting incident." — Cleveland En- 
quirer. 

" Romance at its best." — Boston Herald. 




rH;B;B;B2a«BtHta*"Za!atBl>rai 



THE WHAT-SHALL-I-DO GIRL 



Or, The Career of Joy Kent 
Si/ Isabel Woodman Waitt 

1 2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated b^ Jessie Gillespie. 
Net$1, 25 ; postpaid $1.40 



When Joy Kent finds herself alone in the world, thrown 
on her own resources, after the death of her father, she looks 
about her, as do so many young girls, fresh from the public 
schools, wondering how she can support herself and earn a 
place in the great business world about her. Still wondering, 
she sends a letter to a number of girls she had known in school 
days, asking that each one tell her just how she had equipped 
herself for a salary-earning career, and once equipped, how 
she had found it possible to start on that career. In reply 
come letters from the milliner, the stenographer, the librarian, 
the salesgirl, the newspaper woman, the teacher, the nurse, 
and from girls who had adopted all sorts of vocations as a 
means of livelihood. Real riendly girl letters they are, too, 
not of the type that preach, but of the kind which give sound 
and helpful advice in a bright and interesting manner. Of 
course there is a splendid young man who also gives advice. 
Any " What-shall-I-do " young girl can read of the careers 
suggested for Joy Kent with profit and pleasure, and, perhaps, 
with surprise! 



m3:8:Bxoxsixxcx8XC^ 




TH E HARBOR MAST ER 

(Qy Theodore Goodridge Roberts 

Author of " Comrades of the Trails," " Ray ton : A Backwoods 
Mystery," etc. 

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The scene of the story is Newfoundland. The story deals 
with the love of Black Dennis Nolan, a young giant and self- 
appointed skipper of the little fishing hamlet of Chance Along, 
for Flora Lockhart, a beautiful professional singer, who is 
rescued by Dennis from a wreck on the treacherous coast of 
Newfoundland, when on her way from England to the United 
States. The story is a strong one all through, with a mystery 
that grips, plenty of excitement and action, and the author 
presents life in the open in all its strength and vigor. Mr. 
Roberts is one of the younger writers whom the critics have 
been watching with interest. In " The Harbor Master " he 
has surely arrived. 



Of Mr. Roberts^ previous books the critics have written as fol- 
lows: 

" The action is always swift and romantic and the love is of the kind that 
thrills the reader. The characters are admirably drawn and the reader fol- 
lows with deep interest the adventures of the two young people." — Balti- 
more Sun. 

" Mr. Roberts' pen has lost none of its cunning, while his style is easier 
and breezier than ever." — Bu£alo Express. 

"It is a romance of clean, warm-hearted devotion to friends and duty. 
The characters are admirable each in his own or her own way, and the author 
has made each fit the case in excellent fashion." — Salt Lake City Tribune. 

" In this book Mr. Roberts has well maintained his reputation for the 
vivid coloring of his descriptive pictures, which are full of stirring action, 
and in which love and fighting hold chief place." — Boston Times. 

" Its ease of style, its rapidity, its interest from page to page, are admi- 
rable; and it shows that inimitable power — the story-teller's gift of veri- 
similitude. Its sureness and clearness are excellent, and its portraiture clear 
and pleasing." — The Reader. 

^c8:8:8:a:a:8:8:«o@ca:8:(£8»:8:i^ 



iyX08XOSX:8X0SXIXO3XOX8X:i^: 




T HE BLOSSOM SH OP 

A Story of the South 
Sy Isla May Mullins 

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postpaid $Kt 5 



9 



One of those exquisitely simple and appealing stories of 
mother love and sacrifice for a little blind daughter, written 
in a delightful vein, combining humor and pathos. The 
reader will love little blind Eugene (the child had received 
the name of her dead father) and will rejoice with the brave 
young mother, the heroine of the story, when the child's 
sight is restored. There is a time for rejoicing, too, when 
a lost will is found, bringing wealth and release from all 
worries, and the young mother is free to accept the love and 
protection that in her sorrow she denied herself. 

Southern types are amusingly contrasted with those of the 
North; and the simple language and fine sentiment of the 
story will charm readers of all ages. 



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The reading public is no longer content with the old 
hackneyed love story, the impossible mystery story or the 
superficial tale of adventure. It is necessary that a novel 
to be successful shall appeal to the best in us — shall grip 
our hearts and fill our thoughts. Few first books by a new 
writer can supply such an exacting demand, but " John O' 
Partletts' " is among these few. Its simple, straightfor- 
ward plot; its able and convincing portrayal of character — 
real character; the author's mastery of her art — these are 
the elements which make the book worthy of wide apprecia- 
tion. No one character dominates the story, neither 
" Witch " Beevish, the eccentric old woman at war with the 
village, nor Jim, the little orphan, nor Henry Carruthers, 
the minister, nor even Kitty Merryweather, the shrewd- 
tongued gossip. But if there is a hero it is John 0' Part- 
letts', "Witch" Beevish's great dog, the friend and pro- 
tector of Little Jim. 

This is a story to compare with " Rab and His Friends " 
and with " A Dog of Flanders " — a story that is bound to 
make its way. 



jtjL 26 191^ 



